


A doubtful request

by Soleera



Series: Āctiōnēs secundum fideī [4]
Category: 2770 ab urbe condita - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:07:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27948026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soleera/pseuds/Soleera
Summary: Cinna needs to ask a favour from her former owner and Titus isn't really helpful.
Series: Āctiōnēs secundum fideī [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938643
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9
Collections: 2770 ab urbe condita - the collected fiction





	A doubtful request

Most times Cinna didn't mind helping people, especially if these people were good friends. This didn't mean she hadn't the wish to smack Aurelia and Publius over the head for the stupid little stunt they tried to make. Like she hadn't enough to do already and now she had to reorganise _the whole wedding…_

Cinna sighed deeply. No, this wasn't true. She only needed to ask the right persons to handle things for her and keep an eye on the proceedings afterwards.

But still! 

Why hadn’t these two stupid lovebirds simple _told_ her, they wanted a small wedding? She would have helped them. She only tried to threaten them when they spoke about eloping because she thought they were joking, for Juno’s sake!

Instead, they were in this mess now, trying to please their families and having what they wanted at the same time. They needed a place, preferable their new home, a complete guest list, a date, catering, flowers and thousand other little things nobody had thought of by now.

Cinna sighed inwardly again while sipping at her wine and frowning while she looked at a statue right in front of her - a statue which showed herself. She looked a little bit miffed to her right side in the amused face of her former master, who refused to get rid of the damn thing, even now, eleven years after he sold her to Titus.

Of course, it was his house and he had paid for the statue, but couldn’t he place the thing _somewhere_ else than in his atrium? Like this, it was the first thing what every visitor saw when they walked through his front door! She gazed at her former owner and snorted inwardly.

No, he wouldn’t do that - it would be something other people would do, but certainly not Appius Granius Cato. Sometimes she wondered how he managed to become a senator and could hold this position for the last twelve years. On the other hand, she was well aware of his sharp mind and tongue – and he had always known how to turn a less than favourable situation into something he could use for his own benefit.

As much as she loathed her status as a slave in the past, Appius had treated her well – sometimes even better when his own wife. One of the reasons why Quinta decided to maim her arm one day, Cinna was sure of it. Good thing, that woman was gone now.

“You know” Cinna began, a certain amusement still evident in her voice, while she nipped at her wine again “You really should get rid of this statue. Some people could misinterpret your intentions.”

Appius gave her a puzzled look.

“Why?” he asked. “It’s a beautiful piece of art.”

Titus, her loyal husband and client of her former master - as well as a distant relative - who stood on her left side, nodded approvingly. “It is. Every time we are here for a larger party I’m asked if this statue displays you and I can proudly say that it’s true.”

“You are terrible. Both of you. It shows me naked, for Juno’s sake!”

“Not fully”, Appius answered with a smirk. “The artist draped you in a very long silk tunic.”

“That is see-through. Honestly, Appius, I’m not your concubīna anymore and you haven’t seen me without clothes for real in the last eleven years!”

“Good to know”, Titus murmured but was equally ignored by his patron and his wife.

“You are only complaining because you think your body isn't as beautiful anymore. Completely untrue I would assume, even if Titus is without a doubt a better judge in this by now.”

Titus only smiled but wasn’t giving an answer while Cinna grumbled something into her glass and tried to find the best beginning for her request. If she could even call it that because if she was honest with herself it was actually a favour she would be asking for - and a big one at that.

Good for everyone already involved in this mess Cinna didn’t mind that much to asking her former Master for help. There were worse persons in this world to owe something to, when Appius – she even knew some of them. But the fact remained she wouldn’t even be in this situation if Aurelia and Publius hadn’t tried to… well, what?

They said it had been because they wanted to keep their relatives of their backs but Cinna suspected it was something else. They had probably tried to keep everyone happy and wanted to evade any major confrontation with their families. Which, as things were right now, was absolutely unavoidable and Cinna knew from personal experience this would explode in one or the other way directly in Aurelia’s and Publius faces.

It was always like this if you tried to appease everyone and in the end, you had more problems than before. Her friends failed attempt in this area proved her point quite spectacularly.

Cinna drew a deep breath and finally turned to Appius. “I have a favour to ask.”

The plebeian senator only lifted one dark eyebrow. “You need a favour from me? Should I feel worried or honoured?”

“Both” Titus interjected in a deadpan tone and Cinna levelled a displeased look at her husband, while Appius snorted.

“Well, that sounds at least interesting”, he mumbled and led them into the trīclīnium.

Cinna waited long enough for them all the settle comfortably and until one of the twin-girls Appius possessed served the food – after a quick look she was certain it was Roan, who wore her hair a little bit shorter and was slightly taller than her sister – before she started speaking again.

“It’s a little bit complicated… but I wouldn’t burden you if I’d knew somebody else who would help me with this.”

“Sounds ominous and _very_ unlike you” Appius answered.

“A friend of mine”, Cinna stopped and corrected herself. “Two friends of ours are going to marry. They are normally very sensible people who like to plan ahead and have certain control over their life.”

Her former master sounded more than amused as he asked: “And right now they are neither sensible _nor_ have they control?”

Titus snorted with suppressed laughter while Cinna sighed.

“Sadly, that would be very correct.” 

“I’m usually less interested in sorting out the problems of people who aren’t family, friends or clients of mine. It maybe doesn’t look always like it but I’m sure you remember I do have a busy schedule.”

Cinna nodded, relieved Appius sounded still amused – and of course, she remembered his many meetings and other little things he usually took care of. Like she could _ever_ forget.

“I do remember”, she answered. “But I also remember your business provides catering, service and even entertainment for parties, social gatherings and weddings.”

“So, this is about me drawing up a contract for this wedding. Why does it need to be a favour?”

“Because there are a lot of variables which are… less than clear.”

Cinna didn’t know how else to word this and occupied herself with chewing on a piece of cheese. Appius only blinked.

“Less than clear. Like… they don't know if they want the cēna in their new home or on another location?”

Titus chortled and Cinna gave him a warning look.

“They… uhm, they don’t have a location”, she finally admitted.

“But they know how many guests will be there.”

Cinna only shook her head and her former owner blinked at her again, before he frowned.

“I’m nearly afraid to ask”, he said after some moments of silence. “Do they have _a date_ for the happy event?”

“No”, Titus sniggered.

“You aren’t helpful!” Cinna exclaimed which only lead to Titus laughing even harder.

“So, let me summaries this”, Appius said meanwhile in a serious voice. “You want me to take over the catering, entertainment and the service…”

“I think the service will be taken care of”, Cinna interjected trying her most winning smile. “Their families are rich patricians so slaves to serve everything and everyone shouldn’t be a problem.”

Appius gave her a stern look and the liberta closed her mouth, suddenly feeling like she was seventeen again when he told her to shut up if she wanted to evade punishment.

“So only the catering and maybe a little bit of entertainment, possible some puti. But you want me to accept a deal for a wedding on an undetermined location, with an unknown guest-list, and on top of that you don’t even have an idea of the date this will take place.”

He paused and Cinna nodded suddenly very tired.

“I know half of Rome thinks I’m eccentric, but apparently you also think I’m mad. This is a sure way to lose a lot of money – and no other catering business would accept such a contract.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to do me this favour – of course I will make sure the couple in question will pay for every expense you may have. And I never thought you were mad.” Cinna answered.

Appius lifted both of his eyebrows and looked at her like he in return thought _she_ was crazy – maybe she was. She should have left Aurelia in the mess the patrician created. On the other hand, Cinna knew she would be dragged into it anyway, so why preventing the inevitable?

She also noticed Appius hadn’t said no so far – a good sign. If he didn’t turn a request down immediately he usually thought about it and if he mulled everything over in his head her chances were good he would agree. And gods, she hoped he would. Otherwise, she needed to prepare Aurelia’s and Publius eloping and she really wanted to evade that – and be it only for the reason that the two idiots would be pressured to accept some of the wishes of their families.

It was petty, she was aware of it, but Cinna couldn’t help herself to wish her friends some suffering for this chaos.

She gazed at Appius as she heard him sigh and blinked in surprise as he gave her a sharp look.

“You owe me for this, Cinna. And if I do that I expect to have the relevant information as soon as possible. At least a date would be helpful. And I will send your friends a written contract in which I will make sure they pay me, even if the suddenly decide they don’t want to marry at all.”

The līberta smiled warmly at him.

“Of course”, she answered, the relief evident in her voice. “What do you want?”

“How about you stop putting your beautiful nose in my _private_ affairs?”

Titus snorted. “As if”, he only mumbled and Cinna smacked him on the forearm, but couldn’t stop smiling.

Seemed like she had erased one major point on the very long to-do list for this wedding. Now she only needed to convince Aurelia to speak to Publius father about some help to keep at least Helena Terentia of their backs – apparently, the young patrician woman had realised it hadn’t been the smartest idea to comb through the private and business life of her future father-in-law, even if it was theoretically an order from their superiors in Imperial Security.

Cinna sighed while she nibbled at a slice of melon.

Being friends with somebody like Aurelia meant you were _never_ bored at least.

**Author's Note:**

> Concubīna – female concubine, not always necessarily a slave (though the male versions are)
> 
> trīclīnium – the dining room, named for the three couches set around the table. Roman dinners were eaten reclining on one arm.
> 
> līberta - freedwoman
> 
> cēna – dinner


End file.
